Method for loading shotgun shells



Dec. 24, 1968 w. J. MIDDLETON, JR 3,

METHOD FOR LOADING SHOTGUN SHELLS Original Filed June 10, 1964 United States Patent METHOD FOR LOADING SHOTGUN SHELLS William J. Middleton, Jr., Orlando, Fla., assignor to Chellife Corporation, Orlando, Fla., a corporation of Florida Original application June 10, 1964, Ser. No. 373,944, now Patent No. 3,313,235, dated Apr. 11, 1967. Divided and this application Feb. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 645,070

Claims. (Cl. 86-25) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method for loading shotgun shells which comprises the steps of (1) positioning a member Within the shell so as to form a concentrically aligned receptacle having one of its ends protruding above the peripheral edge of the open end of the shell, (2) inserting a predetermined quantity of shot Within the receptacle, and (3) folding the protruding end of the receptacle so as to terminate the open end of the shell and prevent undesirable emergence of the shot from the shell prior to firing thereof.

This is a division of application, Ser. No. 373,944, filed June 10, 1964, now US. Patent No. 3,313,235.

This invention relates to a technique for reloading shotgun shells, and more particularly to a shotgun shell loading and reloading technique which utilizes a novel insert capable of being formed into a predetermined configuration for terminating the open end of the shell casing and for advantageously protecting the shot-load and holding same in a fixed and predetermined position a sufficient period of time after the shot-load emerges from the shotgun barrel so as to substantially improve the range, accuracy and patterning of the shot-load, yet significantly decrease barrel wall scufling.

The prior art is replete with techniques and apparatus for containing a shot-load in a shotgun shell. The most common known technique for containing a shot-load in a shotgun shell utilizes a flat, substantially circular card which is positioned over the shot-load and held in relative position to the open end of the shell by rolling the peripheral edge 'of the shell casing inwardly toward the center. Thus, the inner lip of the rolled portion holds the card in position within the shotgun shell casing. Although this technique is satisfactory in many respects, it is unsatisfactory in other respects. For example, after the shell is fired, the shot-load travels down the gun barrel directly behind the circular card. During this period, due to the pressures exerted upon the shot-load by the conventional filler wad, which is positioned directly behind the shot-load, and since such pressures are not equally distributed in a transverse plane with respect to the direction of movement of the shot-load, the shot tends to expand in all directions thereby abutting and sending against the inner wall of the gun barrel. This result is undesirable since such abutting and scufiing deforms the individual pellets of the shot-load and greatly affects the direction of travel of the shot-load due to aerodynamic principles during flight of the shot-load to the target. Further, such abutting or scufiing cause considerable energy losses in that some of the energy motion is converted into energy of heat and is permanently lost by the time the shot-load emerges from the barrel. Accordingly, this card-overshot technique does not prevent barrel scuffing, does not improve range or accuracy to any appreciable degree, nor does it significantly improve patterning of the shot-load.

Another well-known technique for reloading shotgun shells utilizes the peripheral edge of the shotgun shell as a means for holding the shot-load in position. That is to say, a substantial portion of the shell casing is construct- Patented Dec. 24, 1968 ed of a material readily bendable so that it can be bent or folded toward the center of the shell and thereby used to encase the shot-load within the shell casing. The shell casing of this technique is of the type, which when bent or folded into position and held that way for a period of time under certain conditions, will remain in that position after such conditions are removed.

This technique is basically unsatisfactory in that the bent portions of the shell casing become fatigued after a relatively short number of reloading operations, such as four to six. Further, the undesirable features of the cardover-shot" technique above described are also present in the technique. That is, this latter technique does not prevent barrel scufi'lng nor does it significantly improve the range, accuracy or patterning of the shot-load.

Although one prior known technique does prevent barrel scufling in that it utilizes a strip of plastic wrapped around the shot-load, it does not significantly improve the range, accuracy or patterning of the shot-load. This latter technique is commonly referred to as the protective-collar technique.

There is still another known technique which prevents, to some degree, barrel scufiing by utilizing a cup like member having slotted walls for separating the shotload from the gun barrel. This technique is basically unsatisfactory in that it also does not provide any significant increase in range, accuracy of patterning. Also, this latter technique does not in and of itself hold the shot-load in position within the shell casing but requires additional structural elements to close or terminate the shell casing.

It becomes apparent from the foregoing that the shotgun shell reloading art is in need of a reloading technique and associated necessary components which will prevent barrel Wall scufiing yet improve the range, accuracy and patterning of the shot-load to an appreciable degree. Further, such technique must be simple in operation, economical to manufacture and use, and be compatible with presently available shotgun shell reloading components and equipment. The shotgun shell reloading technique of the present invention uniquely provides the foregoing advantageous features.

In accordance with the novel shotgun shell reloading technique of the present invention, after priming, charging with powder, and wadding the shotgun shell, a deformable insert is installed into the open end of the shell so as to form a convolute tube concentrically aligned within the shell casing such that the insert protrudes above the peripheral edge of the shell casing by a predetermined distance. Thereafter, the shot-load is placed inside the convolute tube to a point not exceeding the peripheral edge of the shell casing. Then the extending portion of the insert is folded or bent, such as by conventionally-known crimping equipments and techniques, so as to form a closure or termination of the shotgun shell casing thereby preventing undesirable or premature emergence of the shot-load from the shell casing prior to firing of the shell. This sealing operation is preferably performed by folding the extended portion of the insert into a pie or Wedge-shaped configuration, which is commonly referred to as a star crimp. This folding or bending step is preferably done by a conventional starting die, such as the Lee Star Crimp Die presently available and sold commercially in most gun shops or sporting goods stores. Next, the folding or bending operation is completed by the use of a finishing die also presently available in most gun shops and sporting goods stores dealing in reloading components and equipments. The completion die advantageously forces the folded edges of the insert down upon the shot-load which in turn causes the deformable side walls of the insert to firmly abut the inner wall of the shotgun shell casing thereby locking the insert and precluding both axial and transverse movement of the shot-load with respect to the shell casing until the shell is fired. When the shell is fired, the insert along with the shot-load and waddling move down the barrel with substantially equal velocity and acceleration. However, as the shot-load travels forward and approaches the choke portion of the barrel, the folded portion of the insert tends to unfold toward the inner wall of the barrel thereby leaving an unimpeded path between the shot-load and the end of the barrel. Of course, the moving insert advantageously reduces barrel wall scuffing since it cushions the shot-load as it tends to move transsert tends to hold the shot-load in relative position until it leaves the gun barrel. This latter feature provides considerable improvements in both patterning and range. The former improvements being due to the decrease in random relative movements of the pellets in the shotload, whereas the latter improvement is due to a decrease in energy losses as the shot-load moves down the gun barrel, and is due to the advantageous containment of the shot-load for a significant period of time after it emerges from the barrel.

Although the foregoing sequence of operation of the reloading technique of the present invention is preferable, it is to be understood that it is within the scope of the present invention to form the insert prior to installation into the shell casing with the shot-load appropriately inserted therein, whereby this pre-loaded insert may subsequently be pressure fitted into the shell case by the use of the finishing die.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the foregoing ideal characteristics are uniquely achieved in that barrel wall scufling is considerably reduced, and the range, accuracy and patterning is advantageously increased in the use of the reloading technique and novel insert of the present invention.

It is therefore a pirmary object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for reloading spent shot gun shells.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel shot gun shell reloading component for terminating the open end of the shot gun shell casing, and for holding the shot-load in a predetermined position within such casing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel shot gun shell reloading technique which advantageously reduces barrel wall scufiing and at the same time significantly improves the range, accuracy and patterning of the shot-load.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shot gun shell reloading technique which utilizes an independent component for terminating or closing the open end of the shot gun shell casing, and which uniquely protects and holds the shot-load a suflicient period of time after it emerges from the shot gun barrel so as to substantially improve the range, accuracy and patterning of the shot-load yet significantly decrease barrel wall scuffing.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following description and claims and the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a shotgun shell incorporating the novel insert of the present invention before the insert is formed into a shell case shot terminating position, and includes both a partial showing of a conventional shot-load and a cut-away portion of the shell casing to show conventional wadding positioned below the shot-load;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of a shotgun shell showing the novel insert of the present invention partially folded or crimped into a plurality of wedge or pie shaped members.

verse to the axis of the shell leasing- In addition, the in- V FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of a shotgun shell showing the novel insert of the present invention fully folded or crimped into a plurality of wedge or pie shaped members which are terminating or closing the open end of the shotgun shell casing.

FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of a modified version of the novel insert of the present invention which may be substituted for the insert shown in FIGURE 1.

Detailed descripti0n-FlG URES 1-3 FIGURES 1-3 depict an exploded view and two isometric views, respectively, of one embodiment of a shotgun shell utilizing the novel insert in accordance with the prment invention. Note that FIGURE lincludes both a partial showing of a conventional shot-load and a cut-away portion showing a conventional wadding positioned below the shot-load, to assist in the following description. Also note, that FIGURE 2 shows this first embodiment of the novel insert of the present invention partially formed into a plurality of wedge or pie-shaped members, and that the open end of the shot gun shell in this figure is partially closed or terminated. Finally note, that FIGURE 3 shows the novel insert of the present invention fully formed or crimped into a plurality of wedge or pie-shaped members in a partially overlapped arrangement, so as to form a somewhat star-like pattern, and that the open end of the shot gun shell in this figure is fully closed or terminated and ready for firing.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 1, the novel insert is shown in a preferred configuration, which is substantially cylindrical in shape with an axial joint or abutment 4. One end of the insert 1 has chamfers or bevelled portions 3 for preventing uneven or loose edges from forming when the insert is rolled to fit into the shell S and crimped into position, as shown in FIGURES 2-3.

The shotgun shell of FIGURE 1, generally indicated as S, is conventional in most respects in that it includes a shell casing 2, generally made of paper or plastic materials, a shell base 7, generally made of metallic material, such as brass, and a shell base lip 8, which is usually integrally formed with the shell base 7 and made of similar metallic material.

Positioned within the casing 2'is a conventional wad column 6, which is generally made of either paper, organic fiber, or any combination thereof, as shown by the cut away portion of the shell S. Also within the shell S are a primer and propellant (not shown). For purposes of this description it is not considered necessary to show the conventional primer and the propellant.

It is to be understood, of course, that any well-known shot gun shell having a primer, propellant, wadding and shot-load, as well as other special components which can be packed within the shotgun shell, may be utilized in combination with the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope herein described and claimed.

The shell S, although preponderantly similar to present state of the art shotgun shells, is slightly modified in length. That is, before the shell S is used in combination with insert 1, a portion of its open end is cut at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the shell S. This is necessary since most all of the presently manufactured shotgun shells having flexible casings, such as paper, plastic, cardboard, etc., are originally loaded by a crimping technique which uses a portion of the end of the shell casing itself to close or terminate the open end of the shell. In the use of the present invention, it is this originally bent or crimped portion of the flexible shell casing which is cut away, thus leaving the unbent or non-deformed portion of the shell.

After the appropriate components are inserted and properly forced into the shell S, the insert 1 is positioned above the wad column 6. Note here, that the length of the insert 1 is slightly longer than the length of the unfilled portion of the shell S after the components have been inserted and press fitted into position. The additional length of the insert 1 is predetermined so that a sufficient portion of the insert is available for completely terminating the open end of the shell casing, as shown in FIGURES 23. The shot-load 5 is then placed into the insert 1 filling the cylindrical space defined at one end by the wad column 6 and at the other end by the peripheral edge of shell S.

The insert 1 is then partially bent or folded into a plurality of wedge or pie-shaped portions 10, as shown in FIGURE 2. The final step is to completely fold or bend the insert 1 into an end closing or'terminating position, as shown in FIGURE 3. Note that the finally bent insert 1 has its end substantially fiat so that the pie-shaped portions 11 lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of shell S and in a partially overlapped arrangement, thus sealing completely the open end of shell S.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that insert 1, when finally shaped into the position shown in FIGURE 3, closes the peripheral edge of shell S and holds the shotload 5 in position. Extensive experimentation has shown that the insert 1 travels down the barrel of the shot gun after the shell S has been fired thereby providing adequate and highly desirable protection for the barrel wall as the shot-load travels toward the'end of the shotgun barrel. Accordingly, significant reduction in energy losses due to shot-load expansion and deformation is advantageously achieved. In addition, experimentation with the novel insert of the present invention has significantly increased the range and accuracy of the shot-load as well as shot-load patterning due to the ability of the insert to hold and confine the shot-load in a desired position until it has left the gun barrel and commenced its free flight toward its intended target. Note here, that after firing has been effected the high forward speed of the shot-load within the protecting insert and the choke portion of the gun barrel inter-act to cause the folded end of the insert to open. As the shotload and the insert emerge from the gun muzzle, a second dynamic force is imposed on both the shot-load and the insert, namely the orifice or nozzle effect, which is known as muzzle blast in the art. This effect normally tends to disrupt the shot-load and cause it to spread out immediately after emerging from the muzzle. The position of the insert about the shot-load prevents the shot-load from absorbing the effect of the muzzle blast. These factors advantageously allow the insert to protect the shot-load during the first critical instant after emergence, while offering an unimpeded, open path between the shot-load and the intended target.

Detailed description FfGURE 4 FIGURE 4 depicts an alternate embodiment of the novel insert of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cylindrical insert 1 comprises an axial joint or abutment 4' and chamfers 3. The chamfers 3' are more rounded than the beveled portions 3 of insert 1 of FIGURE 1. This feature further reduces the possibility that the insert 1 will produce uneven or loose edges when it is rolled to fit into the shell S and folded or crimped into its end closing position. To further assist in rolling the insert 1' into an accurate cylindrical shape, axial impressions or ridges 12 are provided along the body of the insert 1. Thus, when the insert 1' is rolled to fit into the shell S the corrugated portions 12 of the insert 1' will allow the insert to bend and form more easily and accurately. In addition, the crests of the ridges 12 will increase the coefficient of friction between the inner wall of the shell S and the insert 1', thereby further preventing the insert from unwanted and inadvertant removal from the shell S after it has been crimped into its shell terminating configuration.

It is to be noted at this point that the paper inserts 1 and 1' of FIGURES 1 and 4, respectively, may be impregnated with moisture-repelling materials so that once the inserts are crimped or folded into their end closure position, the shot-load as well as the wad column is protected from moisture. This impregnating feature provides a reasonable degree of moisture proofing of the shot gun shell after it has been reloaded in accordance with the present invention.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation and it is not intended, in the use of such terms and expressions, to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing is considered to explain the character of the present invention so that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service while still retaining certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method for loading shot gun shells of the type having a primer, propellant and wad column conventionally associated with the shell base and casing, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning a deformable sheet of material within said shell casing so as to form a convolute tube concentrically aligned within said shell casing suchthat a portion of one end of said tube protrudes above the peripheral edge of said shell casing;

(b) inserting a predetermined quantity of shot within said tube so as to form a height of shot not exceeding the peripheral edge of said casing; and

(c) folding the end of said tube which protrudes above the peripheral edge of said shell casing so as to close the open end of said shell casing and prevent undesirable emergencies of said shot from said shell casing prior to the firing of said shell.

2. A method for loading shot gun shells in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(a) said deformable sheet of material, which is positioned with in said shell casing so as to form a convolute tube, is corrugated so as to increase the coefiicient of friction between the inner wall of said shell casing and the outer surface of said tube, thereby holding said tube in relative position with respect to said shell casing.

3. A method for loading shot gun shells in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

(a) the end of said tube which protrudes above the peripheral edge of said shell casing is folded so as to form a plurality of wedge shaped members in a partially overlapped configuration which effectively closes the open end of said shell casing.

4. A method for reloading previously fired shot gun shells of the type having a primer, powder charge and wad column conventionally packed within the shell base and easing, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) trimming a portion of the open end of said shell casing so as to retain only the non-deformed portion thereof, whereby the peripheral edge of said trimmed shell casing lies in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shell;

(b) positioning a deformable, thin walled, corrugated sheet of material within said shell casing so as to form convolute tube concentrically aligned within said shell casing so that the outer surface of a portion of said tube abuts the inner wall of said shell casing, with the remaining portion of said tube protruding above the peripheral edge of said shell cas- 111g;

(c) inserting a predetermined quantity of shot into said tube so as to form a substantially cylindrical column of shot not exceeding the peripheral edge of said casing; and

(d) folding the end of said tube which protrudes above the peripheral edge of said shell casing so as to form a plurality of wedge shaped members in a partially overlapped configuration which effectively closes the open end of said shell casing, thereby preventing undesirable emergencies of said shot from said shell casing prior to the firing of said shell.

5. A method for loading shotgun shells of the type having a primer, propellant and wad column, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning a thin-walled deformable member within said shells so as to form a receptacle concentrically aligned within said shell with one of its ends abutting said Wad column, its other end protruding above the peripheral edge of the open end of said shell and its outer surfaces abutting the inner walls of said shell;

(b) inserting a predetermined quantity of shot within said receptacle so as to form a height of shot not exceeding the peripheral edge of the open end of said shell; and

(c) folding said other end of said receptacle so that said open end of said shell is terminated only by said receptacle thereby preventing said shot from undesirable emergence from said shell casing prior to the firing of said shell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

